no. 3605 SEABIRDS — GILL 17 



Larus brunneiceplutlus Indian Black-headed Gull 



A flock of 12 was passed about 75 miles east southeast of Bombay on 

 Jan. 27. 



Sterna vittata tristanensis Murphy Antarctic Tern 



This tern was common near both St. Paul and Amsterdam Islands, 

 where flocks of up to 100 individuals were seen just offshore. 



Thirteen specimens in molt and nonbreeding condition were col- 

 lected, one at St. Paul Island on Apr. 7 and the rest at Amsterdam 

 Island on Apr. 8. In addition to winter-plumaged adults, they 

 include several heavily barred immatures. Measurements of the 

 skins from Amsterdam Island are included in table 12. Although the 

 wings of this series are small (cf. Murphy, 1938), the culmen and 

 tarsus lengths seem sufficient to separate this race from the smaller 

 S. v. vittata, which breeds on Kerguelen. Of 10 stomachs examined, 

 four contained tiny cephalopods, four contained fish, one had both 

 fish and cephalopods, and one contained the remains of small Crustacea. 



Sterna repressa White-cheeked Tern 



Common at sea between Bombay and Karachi on May 18. 



Sterna anaethctus Bridled Tern 



Seen at sea only in the vicinity of the Seychelles Islands on June 2. 



Sterna fuscata Sooty Tern 



Although sooty terns were absent from the Arabian Sea south to the 

 Seychelles in January and February, large flocks were seen 200-300 

 miles east of the Somalian coast of East Africa (between 06°46' N, 

 55°00' E, and 06°05' S, 42°11' E) and east to the Seychelles Islands 

 in late May (see table 11). Sooty terns were common near Mauritius 

 in February and March, and scattered individuals and flocks were 

 seen near the Chagos and Maldive Islands in late April. 



Thalasseus bergii Crested Tern 



Five Thalasseus terns were seen at 06°05 / S, 42°11' E, on May 31 

 and a single T. bergii was observed near the Seychelles on June 2. 



Anous stolidus Common Noddy 



Common noddies were numerous near both the Seychelles Islands and 

 Mauritius, but only two individuals were seen at sea, one at 00°27' S, 

 54°57' E, on Feb. 10 and the other at 22°51' S, 54°58 / E (southwest 

 of Reunion), on Mar. 4. 



Gygis alba Fairy Tern 



Fairy terns were seen close to the Seychelles Islands in both February 

 and June. 



246-002—67 3 



